Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

1.) The school creates a culture where every student is known, valued, and supported by adults and peers. 2.) Curriculum, instruction, and assessment are challenging, exploratory, integrative, and relevant. 3.) All students have equal access to high-quality educational experiences and supportive environments.

Lee County Middle School East Campus (LCMSE) strongly embodies the principles of The Successful Middle School: This We Believe through its commitment to young adolescents, exploratory learning, and educational equity. The school fosters a responsive, relationship-centered environment by utilizing a middle school teaming approach where every student has an adult advocate, alongside weekly Character Strong social-emotional lessons and multi-layered guidance and behavioral support. Instruction is engaging, relevant, and challenging, offering interdisciplinary units, hands-on field trips, high school credit opportunities for 8th graders, and structured career planning via YouScience. Additionally, LCMSE cultivates an inclusive culture through heterogeneous grouping, co-teaching models, flexible Title I and MTSS interventions, and an interest-based Extended Learning Time (ELT) program that allows students to explore topics like STEM, robotics, and coding.